Product Holds All The Cards

S. Florida Company Teams

On Frames For O.j. Rookie Series

September 9, 1994|By JAY WEAVER Business Writer

As O.J. Simpson awaits trial on murder charges, a small Oakland Park business has scored a contract to produce a picture frame that will hold valuable rookie trading cards signed by the ex-football star in jail.

Multi Medium Manufacturing Inc. will begin production next week on a Lucite frame holder for about 2,500 collectible cards that portray Simpson in his 1970 rookie season with the Buffalo Bills.

Multi Medium says its contract with Signature Rookies of Factoryville, Pa., , manufacturer of the Simpson-signed cards, is worth $12,000.

"They are the first big bite I have had on my new card-holder design," Multi Medium President Mark Boyer said.

Boyer, 43, an industrial engineer who started his company at 224 NE 33rd St. five years ago, said he lined up the contract with Signature Rookies at a sports memorabilia trade show in Houston last month.

The company, which specializes in making Lucite frames and holders for sports and other retail merchandise, has annual sales of $300,000 and eight employees, Boyer said.

The Simpson-signed cards should be available later this month to some buyers of a new series of trading cards featuring rookies from four professional sports - football, baseball, basketball and hockey.

The series, which should go on sale in sports-collectibles stores by Sept. 19, will consist of 936,000 packages with six cards in each set. One of the six cards is autographed.

Each package will retail for between $6 and $10.

As a bonus incentive, an authentic certificate for a free Simpson-signed card will be randomly placed in some packages.

Ellis Lowe, a spokesman for Signature Rookies, said the company struck the autograph-card deal with Simpson nine days before he was charged with the June 12 murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Simpson's signature has become a hot item in collectibles stores across the country.

For example, an NFL football with his signature increased from $200 to $350, while an autographed Buffalo Bills helmet soared from $400 to $600, according to store owners in South Florida.

Steven Tow, owner of the Sportscards USA store in Sunrise, predicts the Simpson-signed cards could be worth up to $350 each.